Diego Maradona leaves a courthouse after answering charges he shot and injured journalists outside his home in 1994. Photograph: Stringer/Argentina/Reuters

Following newspaper reports that the Chelsea and England defender Ashley Cole accidentally shot an intern with an air rifle at the Premier League champions' Cobham training base, a delve into the archive shows that the left-back would not be the first player to be caught up in controversy over firearms.

Javier Flórez

The Colombian went too far after his Atlético Junior team lost to Once Caldas in a 2009 local tournament final. Driving away after the match, the midfielder shot into a group of supporters who chanted "weak, weak, weak" at him. One man was killed. Following his release from prison on £45,000 bail, Flórez said that he had been "drunk and angry" when the shooting happened, before adding: "He really upset me, but I repent in my heart. I just hope people know what I have suffered." Flórez was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to three years' probation. He returned to the team in January 2010.

Diego Maradona

Four people were injured in February 1994 when Maradona – hidden behind a parked Mercedes outside his Buenos Aires home – fired an air rifle at journalists and photographers. Four years later, Maradona was given a suspended jail sentence of two years and 10 months. "At least this exemplary case does show that there is justice for all," said Daniel Talamoni, one of the four injured reporters. "When the case began four years ago, everyone said it was impossible they would sentence a man idolised in Argentina and forgiven everything."

Faustino Asprilla

The former Colombia and Newcastle forward was arrested in his homeland after being accused of shooting at a security checkpoint near his farm home, using a machine gun. No one was injured in the 2008 incident; Asprilla was placed under house arrest. "Seven people who were with me have not yet testified, and so I think it's a bit premature for me to be convicted," said Asprilla. "In fact, it reminds me of a movie that I once saw called Minority Report with Tom Cruise, in which people end up in jail even before you've committed the crime or even been tried."

John Oster

The Sunderland player accidentally shot a member of the club's reserve team, Mark Maley, in the eye with an airgun pellet at his home in 2002. Maley's career ended following the incident, which occurred following "horseplay" between the two, who both thought the pistol wasn't loaded. After an out-of-court settlement was reached in 2007, Oster told the Guardian:

"The air rifle was just a freak incident. We were larking about in my flat on a Sunday morning and I thought the safety catch was on. It went off and it hit him in the eye. It was strange to say the least because it didn't fire straight at the best of times. I thought he was messing about and then I realised his eye was bloodshot.

"I haven't spoken to him for a while. I had a claim against me which has just gone through, so I have had to go through the process of using solicitors because he sued me; that had been going on for a few years. We settled out of court which we have just agreed. We were mates, it was a complete accident and he's not in any way bitter towards me, but the fact is that he had to finish his career because of me."

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